Collapsible truck.



N0- 808,'738. PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906. G. E. FISCHER.

COLLAPSIBLE TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. s. 1904.

MLQZW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COLLAPSIBLE TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed September 3, 1904. Serial No. 223,194.

To ttZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. FISCHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at West Harrison, in the county of Dearborn and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCollapsible Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of my invention to provide a new and improvedcollapsible truck of simple form, cheaply constructed, and which isespecially applicable for moving stoves, barrels, and other packagesabout the household or in stores and which may be folded together incompact form in the novel manner hereinafter explained when not in use;and the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, andcombinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the truck in normalrelation havinga stove thereon, the latter being broken away, and alsoshowing the truck in spread relation and the stove partly mountedthereon in dotted lines. Fig. Qis a perspective view of the truck innormal relation. Fig. 3 is a perspective bottom view of the truck innormal relation. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the truck in foldedrelation. Fig. 5 isa perspective bottom view of the truck in foldedrelation, and Fig. 6 is a detail in cross-section showing a washerinterposed between the lengthwise piece and cross piece of thecollapsible truck.

A A are side pieces or pieces extending lengthwise of the truck. A cross-piece B connects these lengthwise pieces at one end of each of thelatter by means of a pivot which is shown in the form of a bolt C,secured in place by a nut 0, by means of which latter the pivotalconnection can also be loosened or tightened at will. A caster D issecured to the under side of each of said lengthwise pieces at thepivotal end of the latter. A caster E is secured to the under side ofeach of said lengthwise pieces at the swinging end of the latter. Thelengthwise pieces A A are respectively preferably provided with groovesa a in their top faces, and the cross-piece B is preferably providedwith a groove 5 in its top face. The walls of these grooves serve thepurpose of retaining the legs of the stove or other article that may beon the truck, preventing slippage thereof from the truck, the groove 6extending in a direction across the grooves (b a when the truck is innormal po- The grooves a (1 preferably stop Sition.

short of the pivotal end of the lengthwise pieces AA, forming top facesa a respectively, on the pieces A A, on which the crosspiece B issupported. If desired, the grooves in the lengthwise pieces may becontinued to the end of the latter and a washer F be inter- .posedbetween the respective lengthwise pieces and the cross-piece, as shownin Fig. 6, for supporting the cross-piece and preventing its beingcaught by the walls of the groove in either lengthwise piece when thepieces are relatively swung for folding or unfolding the truck.

My improved device is especially well adapted for conveniently andeasily handling stoves, barrels, or packages of various sizes. Thusillustrating the use of my improved device in moving a stove andreferring to Fig. 1, the stove is first tilted or canted to one side, asshown in dotted lines, and the cross-piece B is placed under the legswhich have been thus raised, the lengthwise pieces extending alongsidethe legs of the stove which are still on the floor. (Also shown indotted lines.) The stove is then canted to its other side, raising theremaining legs of the stove oif the floor, and the lengthwise pieces areswung inwardly on their pivots under the latter legs, thereby placingthe stove upon the truck Without at any time being obliged to raise itsentire weight. Stoves and other articles of different sizes can bemounted on the truck in similar manner, the lengthwise pieces beingpermitted to extend at different angles from the cross-piece, theswinging ends of the lengthwise pieces being permitted to meet, if de- 7sired, for supporting articles.

1 denotes the swinging end, and 2 the pivoted end, of each of thelengthwise pieces, and 3 the inner side, and 4: the outer side, thereofwhen in normal position. The parts are so constructed that in foldingthe truck the swinging end of one of the lengthwise pieces is swungoutwardly, and the pivoted end thereof is moved toward the otherlengthwise piece for bringing the pivoted end of one of the lengthwisepieces between the pivoted end and the swinging end of theotherlengthwise piece, thereby relatively reversing the lengthwisepieces end for end and bringing the outer side of one of said lengthwisepieces adjacent the inner side of the other lengthwise piece. (See Fig.4.) When so arranged, the truck-is collapsed or folded, but at the sametime again forms a perfect truck, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, upon whicharticles may be transportedas, for instance, the end of a long showcasemay be placed upon the same for moving the show-case, the nuts 0 beingdrawn up for rigidity, if desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a collapsible truck, the combination of the lengthwise pieces A Arespectively having the grooves a; a, the cross-piece B pivotallyconnected to both said lengthwise pieces at one end of the latter, saidcross-piece having the groove 6, a caster at each of said latter ends,and a caster at each of the other ends of said lengthwise pieces. saidpieces folding 5 nesses.

CHARLES E. FISCHER. Witnesses:

LOUIS DAHMANN, A. F. HERBSLEB.

